Patents Represented by Attorney Bachman & LaPointe, P.C.
  • Patent number: 5983552
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an animal figure that has utility as a hunting decoy, a lawn ornament, a crop protection device, a museum display piece, and a theatrical prop. The animal figure has a body portion, a head portion attached to the body portion, feet and legs attached to the body portion, and a support frame attached to the feet. The animal figure has a skin over the head and body portions, which skin has a photograph of the animal printed thereon. The animal figure of the present invention may be easily assembled and disassembled for storage and transport. A method for producing the animal figure is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Cabela's Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald D. Nelson
  • Patent number: 5985055
    Abstract: A copper base alloy consisting essentially of tin in an amount from about 1.0 to 11.0% by weight, phosphorous in an amount from about 0.01 to 0.35% by weight, iron in an amount from about 0.01 to about 0.8% by weight, and the balance essentially copper, including phosphide particles uniformly distributed throughout the matrix, is described. The alloy is characterized by an excellent combination of physical properties. The process of forming the copper base alloy described herein includes casting, homogenizing, rolling, process annealing and stress relief annealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Waterbury Rolling Mills, Inc.
    Inventor: Ashok K. Bhargava
  • Patent number: 5986169
    Abstract: A porous article of a nickel-titanium alloy, said article having a porosity of 8 to 90% and said porosity being defined by a network of interconnected passageways extending throughout said member, said network exhibiting a permeability of fluid material effective to permit complete migration of the fluid material throughout said network, said permeability being isotropic, and said member being elastically deformable; the porous article is useful as a biomedical implant and in other non-medical applications including the working element of cryogenic surgical instruments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Biorthex Inc.
    Inventor: Victor Gjunter
  • Patent number: 5984553
    Abstract: A dispenser-applicator having an elevator for advancing product disposed within a housing having opposed, through sidewall slots. The slots are formed with ratchets and the elevator is actuated by a driver extending through and guided by said slots. The driver is formed with pawls which engage the ratchets so that the elevator can be indexed manually in step by step fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: The Plastek Group
    Inventors: Peter Piscopo, Richard H. Seager
  • Patent number: 5982987
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a heat source of a hot water system includes a power circuit for selectively providing power to the heat source, the power circuit having an ON state wherein power is provided to the heat source and an OFF state wherein power is not provided to the heat source; a sensor for sensing water temperature of water in the hot water system and for operating the power circuit in the ON state when the water temperature is below a set desired temperature; and elements, operatively associated with the power circuit for modulating the power circuit whereby overshoot of the water temperature above the set desired temperature is inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Inventors: Donald E. McDonald, Robert J. Lockhart
  • Patent number: 5979708
    Abstract: A product dispenser includes a housing defining an inner space for a product; a piston movably disposed in the inner space for dispensing product from the inner space; a ram slidably mounted to the housing for driving the piston in the inner space, and rotatable relative to the housing between an active position wherein the ram is aligned with the piston for dispensing product, and a neutral position wherein the ram is not aligned with the piston whereby the ram in the neutral position is slidable relative to the housing without dispensing product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: The Plastek Group
    Inventors: Richard H. Seager, Peter Piscopo
  • Patent number: 5980411
    Abstract: A method of changing the range of a hydrostatic/mechanical power split transmission is specified: firstly, the command to engage the clutch for the next range is given, then the transfer of the load to this clutch is carried out and then the command to disengage the clutch for the old range (V.sub.x) is given if, during the load transfer, a characteristic speed value of the summing planetary gearbox (10), for example the speed of the planet carrier (25), remains constant. In this way, the sensors for the clutches are dispensed with and quicker changes of range are made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Steyr-Daimler-Puch Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Gebhard Wontner
  • Patent number: 5981421
    Abstract: A catalyst system for selective hydrogenation of sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing compounds of a heteroaromatic organic phase includes a mixture of a noble metal selected from Group VIII of the Periodic Table of Elements and a water-soluble ligand. A process for preparing the catalyst system and hydrogenation process using the catalyst system are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Intevep, S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel E. Paez, Antida Andriollo, Roberto A. Sanchez-Delgado, Norma del V. Valencia, Roberto E. Galiasso, Francisco A. Lopez
  • Patent number: 5982340
    Abstract: A satellite dish mounting system for mounting indoors and extending outdoors through a window. The device includes a vertical support member having a lower end mounted indoors on a supporting surface, a horizontal support member having a first end affixed to the vertical support member and extending from the vertical support member through a window and outside the building, and having a second end outside the building, and a satellite antenna dish mounted on the second end of the horizontal support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Rosa E. Carrero DBS Hispanic Media & Marketing Specialists
    Inventor: George Troche
  • Patent number: 5982908
    Abstract: An in-the-ear hearing aid in accordance with the present invention has a housing shaped to fit within a user's ear, and a sound passageway within the housing. The sound passageway includes a fixed tube communicating with a receiver. The sound passageway further includes a removable tube whose interior end abuts the fixed tube and an ear wax trap adjacent the interior end. In a preferred embodiment, the ear wax trap is formed from a mesh material. In accordance with the present invention, the removable tube with its integral ear wax trap may be removed as needed to clean the trap. After cleaning, the removable tube with its ear wax trap may be reinserted into the hearing aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Inventor: Natan Bauman
  • Patent number: 5976243
    Abstract: Undried blast furnace slag, for example, granulated blast furnace slag having a water content of 3 to 20, generally 5 to 15%, by weight, is introduced to hot clinker in a cooler downstream of a cement kiln; the water is volatilized or evaporated in the cooler to provide a cement clinker having an effective content of dried blast furnace slag free of water; this permits use of blast furnace slag in a blended cement without the need for separate special steps for drying the slag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Lafarge Canada Inc.
    Inventors: David Bridson Oates, Alan Melvin Van Sloten, Kevin Moire Cail
  • Patent number: 5974702
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an assembly for mounting a plow, such as a snow plow, to a vehicle. The assembly has a linear support member extending from and attached to the front of the vehicle. The linear support member is pivotable with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle and has the plow attached to it at its remote end. The assembly further includes devices connected to the linear support member for offsetting the plow from the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle so that the plow is positioned in front of the tire path of and ahead of the direction of travel of the vehicle. The offsetting devices preferably comprise two pairs of piston-cylinder units. A first pair is mounted at one end to the front of the vehicle and at a second end to the linear support member. The second pair is connected at one end to the plow and at a second end to the linear support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Inventor: John Barry Donoghue
  • Patent number: 5975976
    Abstract: Structured surface, having a support layer and, connected electrically to it, peak-shaped elements, each peak-shaped element exhibiting a cylindrical or conical shaped stem region adjacent to the support layer and at least two, preferably 2 to 4 peaks at the free end of the stem region. The structured surface is suitable in particular as electron emission source for ultra-flat image screens, for electron lithography or for scanning or transmission microscopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Alusuisse Technology & Management Ltd.
    Inventors: Kurt Sekinger, Harald Fuchs, Jean-Francois Paulet, Roman Fuchs
  • Patent number: 5976160
    Abstract: A handle assembly for a medical instrument having at least one member moveable in at least a first direction against a first bias and a second direction against a second bias stronger than the first bias, includes a housing, a trigger operatively associated with the at least one member and pivotably mounted relative to the housing for pivot around a first limited pivot point and a second pivot point, the trigger being pivotable relative to the housing between a rest position and a pivoted position, wherein pivot of the trigger relative to the housing from the rest position toward the pivoted position results in pivot first around the first limited pivot point and movement of the at least one member in the first direction against the first bias, and subsequently in pivot around the second pivot point and movement of the at least one member in the second direction against the second bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Design Standards Corporation
    Inventor: Lawrence Crainich
  • Patent number: 5975102
    Abstract: In a process for the detection of the limit level of liquids and bulk materials in containers and pipelines, the change in the oscillation behavior of a sensor which is excited to oscillation is detected electronically and used to trigger a switch command. As sensor there is used a parallel bimorph piezoelectric element (22) having a common central electrode (44) and two outer electrodes (46, 48). A first alternating voltage (U1) with an oscillator frequency (f1) is applied between the central electrode (44) and a first outer electrode (46), a second alternating voltage is measured as amplitude of oscillation (U2) with corresponding oscillation frequency (f2) between the central electrode (44) and the second outer electrode (48), and the measured amplitude of oscillation (U2) or oscillation frequency (f2) is converted into an output switch signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Georg Fischer Rohrleitungssysteme AG
    Inventor: Adelbert Schalk
  • Patent number: 5974966
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing an ink knife for the ink duct roller of a printing machine from an at least about 2 mm thick metal plate. Parallel slits are formed which extend from the working edge of the ink knife over part of the plate width and form lamellas of color zone width. Parallel transverse and blind-ended grooves which start at the working edge are first cut into the metal plate at intervals which correspond to the width of the color zones. Afterwards, a continuation rating groove that extends parallel to the working edge is cut in the area of the blind ends of the transverse grooves, preferably on at least one side of the metal plate. Finally the metal plate is completely cut through in the area of the transverse grooves, preferably by means of laser beams, forming a narrow slit at intervals which correspond to the width of the color zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Sycolor Consulting AG
    Inventor: Hanspeter Bruni
  • Patent number: 5976200
    Abstract: A combustible fuel for diesel engines and a process for forming same in the form of a water in hydrocarbon emulsion wherein the mean water drop diameter is.ltoreq.4 .mu.m with a maximum diameter of.ltoreq.10 .mu.m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Intevep, S.A.
    Inventors: Hercilio Rivas, Gustavo A. Nunez, Tulio Colmenares, Manuel Chirinos
  • Patent number: 5971740
    Abstract: A compression mold and blow mold are provided in spaced relationship to each other. A preform is formed from a preform precursor in the compression mold and transferred to a blow mold while maintaining the spaced relationship between the compression mold and blow mold, and a container is formed from the preform in the blow mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: The Elizabeth and Sandor Valyi Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Herbert Rees
  • Patent number: 5971033
    Abstract: In a profiled tube, corrugated hose or the like elongate portion of flexible material with mutually parallel peripheral grooves (20) and ridge rings (12) laterally delimiting same the peripheral grooves (20) are radially prolonged in the groove center (N) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis (A) of the elongate portion (10), by at least one recess (20.sub.a), forming a shoulder step (18), wherein the width (f) of a land ring (16) delimiting the recess towards the longitudinal axis is less than the groove width (i). The depth (q) of the groove recess (20.sub.a) is to approximately correspond to half the groove width (i). In addition there can be provided at least two groove recesses (20.sub.a) which are disposed on a common radial axis (M) and which each form a respective shoulder step (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Inventor: Werner Lanz
  • Patent number: 5967271
    Abstract: A composite section (10) features a base (12) of light-weight metallic material as section component and at least one further profiled section component, in particular a profiled strip (18) of another metallic material which is joined metallically as a surface layer to the base section during an extrusion process. Projecting out of the inner-lying face (21) of the profiled strip (18) and directed at the base (12) is at least one projection and/or an additional element (23) which are/is embedded in the base (12). Each additional element (23) may delimit an undercut space which is filled in an interlocking manner by metallic material of the base (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Alusuisse Technology & Management Ltd.
    Inventors: Diethelm Wompner, Joachim Gluck, Uwe Bock